Bill Text: NY A06309 | 2013-2014 | General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Relates to the safety of funeral processions; provides that vehicles participating in a funeral procession shall have the right-of-way; makes it illegal for any vehicle to forcefully enter spaces between vehicles in a procession; provides that vehicles entering a procession illegally shall be subject to a civil fine of up to $100; provides that drivers in a funeral procession must exercise reasonable duty of care and shall yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles with siren or lights activated.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-01-15 - enacting clause stricken [A06309 Detail]
Download: New_York-2013-A06309-Introduced.html
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K ________________________________________________________________________ 6309 2013-2014 Regular Sessions I N A S S E M B L Y March 25, 2013 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. GABRYSZAK, ROBINSON, COOK -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BOYLAND, CROUCH, DUPREY, FINCH, GIGLIO, KOLB, MAGEE, McDO- NOUGH, McKEVITT, PEOPLES-STOKES, WEISENBERG -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the safety of funeral processions THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM- BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: 1 Section 1. The vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new 2 section 1144-b to read as follows: 3 S 1144-B. OPERATION OF MOTOR VEHICLES ON APPROACH OF MOTOR VEHICLES IN 4 A FUNERAL PROCESSION. (A) UPON THE IMMEDIATE APPROACH OF A MOTOR VEHICLE 5 WHICH HAS A BLACK FLAG WITH THE WORD "FUNERAL" AFFIXED TO IT IN THE 6 MANNER PROVIDED FOR IN PARAGRAPH (FF) OF SUBDIVISION TWELVE-A OF SECTION 7 THREE HUNDRED SEVENTY-FIVE OF THIS CHAPTER, THE DRIVER OF EVERY OTHER 8 MOTOR VEHICLE SHALL YIELD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AND SHALL IMMEDIATELY DRIVE 9 TO A POSITION PARALLEL TO, AND AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO, THE RIGHT-HAND 10 EDGE OF THE HIGHWAY, OR TO EITHER EDGE OF A ONE-WAY HIGHWAY THREE OR 11 MORE LANES IN WIDTH, CLEAR OF ANY INTERSECTION, AND SHALL STOP AND 12 REMAIN IN SUCH POSITION UNTIL THE MOTOR VEHICLE DISPLAYING SUCH FLAG HAS 13 PASSED, UNLESS OTHERWISE DIRECTED BY A POLICE OFFICER. 14 (B) THIS SECTION SHALL NOT OPERATE TO RELIEVE THE DRIVER OF A MOTOR 15 VEHICLE PARTICIPATING IN A BURIAL OR FUNERAL PROCESSION FROM THE DUTY TO 16 DRIVE WITH REASONABLE CARE FOR ALL PERSONS USING THE HIGHWAY. 17 (C) ANY PERSON OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE 18 PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL YIELD THE RIGHT-OF-WAY TO AN AUTHORIZED 19 EMERGENCY VEHICLE ENGAGED IN EMERGENCY OPERATION WITH ITS SIREN OR 20 LIGHTS ACTIVATED. 21 S 2. Subdivision (c) of section 1129 of the vehicle and traffic law is 22 amended to read as follows: EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD02421-01-3 A. 6309 2 1 (c) Motor vehicles being driven upon any roadway outside of a business 2 or residence district in a caravan or motorcade whether or not towing 3 other vehicles shall be so operated as to allow sufficient space between 4 each such vehicle or combination of vehicles so as to enable any other 5 vehicle to enter and occupy such space without danger. This provision 6 shall not apply to funeral processions. NOTWITHSTANDING ANY OTHER 7 PROVISION OF THIS SECTION, A DRIVER OF A MOTOR VEHICLE SHALL NOT FORCE- 8 FULLY OR OTHERWISE ENTER THE SPACE BETWEEN MOTOR VEHICLES IN A FUNERAL 9 PROCESSION SO AS TO DISRUPT THE ORDERLY PROGRESSION AND MOVEMENT OF SAID 10 PROCESSION. ANY PERSON WHO VIOLATES THE PROVISIONS OF THIS SUBDIVISION 11 SHALL BE PUNISHED BY A CIVIL FINE OF UP TO ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS. 12 S 3. This act shall take effect immediately.